Wedge base bulb socket



Nov. 21, 1967 A. .1. GARCIA 3,354,423

WEDGE BASE BULB SOCKET Filed Feb. 9, 1966 Fig.1. a v Fig 3. 54 l8 0 o 54 i 46 4a /a so as 4442 m as 23-" 5 34 g H h i 7 l l 5 46 f- 3/ 46 3 1222242212602": flaw/v00 a. 6348664 59 "6 flzily.

Patented Nov. 21, 1967 3,354,423 WEDGE BASE BULB SOCKET Armando J. Garcia, Medford, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 526,117 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-128) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed at a socket housing which has a pair of flexible legs which have means of engaging a support and which may be manually flexed toward the body of the housing to release the housing when it is engaged with an apertured support.

This invention relates generally to lamp sockets and more specifically to lamp sockets having means of flexibly engaging a panel or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp socket having manually operable means for releasing the lamp socket from engagement with an apertured support.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece housing for a socket where the socket engagement means is provided by at least one flexible leg which may be manually compressed toward the axis of the socket, thereby assisting in releasing the socket from engagement with an apertured support.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the socket;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the socket engaged to an apertured support, the support having printed circuitry thereon.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a wedge base lamp socket 10 which is adapted for assembly with a support panel 12 and which is adapted to complete an electrical circuit by receiving a lamp bulb.

The lamp socket 10 comprises a body portion 16 substantially rectangular in configuration, although other geometric configurations may be used, and which may be formed of a single piece of molded plastic material and a pair of contact members 18 and 20 assembled therewith.

In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion 16 is provided with a central cavity 22 opening to the forward end thereof and adapted to receive the base of a bulb. The walls of the central cavity 22 are provided with a pair of opposed, internal, arced shoulder means 26, each of which has a pair of spaced longitudinal ribs 28 disposed on opposite sides thereof. The ribs 28 extend from the plane of the shoulder means 26 toward the base portion 14 of the body portion 16 as shown in FIG. 2. A radially extending arcuate wing 30 extends from each side of the body portion 16 in opposed relation to each other and each is spaced from the other by two opposed slots 31. An arcuate wall portion 32 extends laterally from each of the shoulder means 26 to provide a predetermined edge on a plane above the plane of the wings 30. A forwardly extending leg 34 is formed at the free terminal edge of each of the arcuate wall portions 32 and has a width less than the length of the arcuate wall portions 32 as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the legs 34 has an outwardly inclined, rearwardly extending, resilient terminal portion 36. An integral ramp portion 38 is formed transversely of each of the legs 34 providing an external shoulder 40. The external shoulder 40 lies in a plane which is in spaced substantially parallel relationship to the plane of the wings 30, although it may be in angular relation therewith. The shoulders 40 lie on a plane above the plane of the wings 30. The terminal portion 36 of the legs 34 extend longitudinally along the outside of the body portion 16 passing through the slot 31, extending above the free edge of the arcuate portions 32 and down to a plane which cuts transversely through the body portion 16.

Each of the contacts 18 and 20 comprise a substantially rectangular base plate 42 having a prong 44 extending therefrom, an angular portion 46 extends from an end edge of the base plate 42 and a contact portion 48 extends from the other end of the base plate 42 in a direction opposite to that of the angular portion 46. An arm 50 extends from each side edge of the angular portion 46 in right angle relationship thereto and in spaced substantially parallel relation with the base plate 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The terminal ends of the arms 50 may be bent outwardly to provide a lead-in. The contacts 18 and 20 are engaged to the housing of the socket 10 by sliding the base plate 42 along the internal wall of the body portion 16, with each of the side edges of the base plate 42 riding within a channel formed by one of the longitudinal ribs 28 and the internal wall of the body portion 16. The angular portion 46, when engagement is complete, will abut the base portion 14 of the body portion 16 and the apex of the prong 44 is directed away from the base portion 14, inwardly toward the wall of the body portion 16, to prevent withdrawal of the contact once engagement is completed. The terminal ends of the contact portions 48 lie partially within grooves 52 formed in the upper surface of the wings 30 and each of the terminal ends of the contact portions 48 may have protuberances 54 formed thereon to make better, troublefree, engagement with the printed circuit 58 formed on the support 12.

To engage the socket 10 in a support 12, having an aperture 56 formed therein, the terminal portions 36 of the legs 32 are flexed toward the axis of the body portion 16 and then the socket is passed into the aperture with the contact portions 48 facing the printed circuitry 58 on the support 12. In a relaxed position, the diameter defined by the wings 30 and the distance between the external surfaces of the terminal portions 36 is greater than the diameter of the aperture 56 so that after the wings 30 have abutted against the surface of the support 12 the legs on being released, lock the socket 10 to the support panel 12. If an appropriate dimension between the upper surface of the wings 30 and the shoulders 40 has been provided, then the shoulders 40 will engage on the opposite side of the support 12 from that of the wings 30.

To disengage the socket from the aperture, pressure in right angles to the axis of the socket 10 is applied to one or both of the terminal portions 36 and then the socket may be axially removed or tilted from engagement.

With reference to the foregoing description it is to be understood that what has been disclosed herein represents only a single embodiment of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature and that the invention is best described by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A housing for an electrical socket, engageable in an apertured supporting wall, comprising a body portion having a base portion and having a cavity formed therein opened at one end, a wing extending outwardly from each of opposite sides of said body portion, the wings being spaced from each other to provide a pair of spaced opposed slots, two retaining legs extending forwardly from said body portion, at least one of the legs having a terminal end bent back on itself, providing a bight portion and a free end, extending through and beyond one of said slots and extending along a portion of said body por tion in spaced relation therewith, said legs adapted to cooperatively engage the edge of the apertured supporting wall and be disengaged therefrom by manual manipulation of said free end, and having an abutment means facing said wings, formed between the bight portion and the free end, which is adapted to engagea surface of the wall adjacent the aperture with said Wings engageable with the opposite surface of said wall.

2. A housing for a socket as set forth in claim 1 wherein the free end extends beyond the wall when the housing is engaged with the electrical element and is adapted to be flexed toward the body portion, to release the housing from engagement with the Wall.

3. A housing for a socket as set forth in claim 2 Wherein said abutment means comprises a shoulder.

4. A housing as set forth in claim 3 wherein both of 4 said legs have terminal ends bent back on themselves to provide bight portions and free ends and both legs extend through the slots formed on their respective sides, and each of the legs extend along a portion of the body portion in spaced relation therewith and both legs are adapted to cooperatively engage an edge portion forming the aperture formed in 'the wall, and both legs have shoulders formed between their bight portion and their free end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,936,437 5/1960 Frazer et al. 339-128 3,050,705 8/1962 Benson 339-211 3,213,189 10/1965 Mitchell et al 339-128 3,253,249 5/1966 Hess et al. 339-211 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner, 

1. A HOUSING FOR AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET, ENGAGEABLE IN AN APERTURED SUPPORTING WALL, COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A BASE PORTION AND HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN OPENED AT ONE END, A WING EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BODY PORTION, THE WINGS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SPACED OPPOSITE SLOTS, TWO RETAINING LEGS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID BODY PORTION, AT LEAST ONE OF THE LEGS HAVING A TERMINAL END BENT BACK ON ITSELF, PROVIDING A BIGHT PORTION AND A FREE END, EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND ONE OF SAID SLOTS AND EXTENDING ALONG A PORTION OF SAID BODY PORTION IN SPACED RELATION THEREWITH, SAID LEGS ADAPTED TO COOPERATIVELY ENGAGE THE EDGE OF THE APERTURED SUPPORTING WALL AND BE DISENGAGED THEREFROM BY MANUAL MANIPULATION OF SAID FREE END, AND HAVING AN ABUTMENT MEANS FACING SAID WINGS, FORMED BETWEEN THE BIGHT PORTION AND THE FREE END, WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF THE WALL ADJACENT THE APERTURE WITH SAID WINGS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPPOSITE SURFACE OF SAID WALL. 